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What’s common between travel and love? Both transcend boundaries and prejudices, inviting people to embark on a journey of exploration. While as much as this may hold true for anyone who enjoys expeditions, for LGBTQ+ travellers, it’s another story. For LGBTQ+ travellers, selecting a welcoming and inclusive destination is vital to planning a vacation away. The stark reality is that discriminatory barriers affect how LGBTQ+ travellers are welcomed across the world, with 91% Indian LGBTQ+ travellers reporting that they must consider their safety and well being when picking a destination. Nearly 82% also shared that being a LGBTQ+ traveller has influenced their destination bucket list when planning trips away, while 62% have even canceled a trip in the last year after seeing a destination not support those who identify as LGBTQ+.
With its mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, regardless of how they identify, Booking.com shares a list of 10 LGBTQ+ friendly destinations in India and globally based on recommendations from LGBTQ+ travellers around the world. While personal safety concerns have a key impact on destination choices, other key motivations for travel that play a strong role for the LGBTQ+ communities are beautiful natural scenery (54%), tasty local cuisine (41%) and great beaches (48%) also have an impact on destination choices. From vibrant capital cities to tropical beachside retreats, these destinations actively celebrate diversity and encourage LGBTQ+ travellers to express themselves freely.
Most inclusive destinations in India based on recommendations from LGBTQ+ travellers (in no particular order)
| · Goa | · Kolkata |
| · Shimla | · Kerala |
| · Mumbai | · Hyderabad |
| · Delhi | · Chennai |
| · Bengaluru | · Manali |
Most inclusive destinations around the world based on recommendations from LGBTQ+ travellers (in no particular order)
| · Kyoto (Japan) | · Las Vegas (United States) |
| · Nice (France) | · Ottawa (Canada) |
| · Chiang Mai (Thailand) | · Amsterdam (Netherlands) |
| · Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) | · San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina) |
| · Ghent (Belgium) |
On Booking.com more than 24,000 properties globally across 118 counties and 7030 cities, are now being recognised for their inclusive hospitality efforts with a Travel Proud Badge on Booking.com. These properties have been Travel Proud certified by Booking.com, in recognition of having completed the company’s inclusive hospitality training and their ongoing commitment to providing truly welcoming stays to everyone.
